Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1887-11-05
SOLID WITH THE SETTLERS
A Sample Case Which Bolsters Up
Sparks CLAIM.

(. S0A4HAS S0o0 AAOA4 A1S4oVOIo VI
Sparks Claim.
Minneapolis Journal Special.
SCOTLAND, Oct. 2l.-Some time ago a
settler about sixty miles above Yankton
made proofon his presumption claim, on
which he had lived for over three years.
In due time he received notice that he
must mako new proof, as the original
proof was made one day later than the
date in the published notice ofintention.
His wife, who had worked hard all these
years to help secure the home, wrote to
Commissioner Sparks in. August last,
explaining the case. and a few days ago
received a reply. stating that the new
proof must be made. Her letter to the
commissioner is as follows:
- Oak. Aug. II, l887.-Mr. Sparks,
commissioner of public lands, Washing
ton, D. G. Strive received a notice
from you today stating that we would be
obliged to make final proof of our claim
over again. which is the south half ofthe
southwest quarter of section "a, town
ship 90, range 81.
l cannot tell you what this will cost us
If there is no other alternative. When
W. IA w OoAOCd, lA0 ~ GA AAy Vi Nx0TCu
1884. we had just ten cents. My hus-
band got work right away and com.
menced looking for land to make US a
home. In April he found this eighty
acres lying vacant; all the other land for
miles around was taken up; he immedi-
ately filed O presumption on it, built q
small house and we moved onto it, where
I and our little boy stayed all summer,
my husband coming home every Satur-
day night, and going back to work again
aged to stay on our land and get the re-
quired amount Of breaking done and
other necessary improvements made,
and enough to live on through tho vim
ter. The mex year we farmed it and
lived there continually until the 9Th Of
May 1887. My husband found = piece
OF land c%ornering ours that he could buy
and paid $500 (three hundred dollars) for
homestead on it. We moved our house
from our presumption and are now liv-
ing on our homestead. The way the mis-.
take of one day came to be in our proof
was partly owing to a terrible blizzard,
as we lived sixty miles from the Yank-
ton land Office, where our proOf was
taken in January. When they got. to
Scotland, thirty miles of the way, the
storm was so bad they were Obliged to
leave the team and take cars. This was
the 18th of January. When they got to
thew had failed to bring ar affidavit from
the publisher who had printed the final
proof notice, so they telegraphed back
to Scotland to have it sent, and the snow
was so bad the train didn't got to Yank-
ton until too late to do anything that day.
the l4th, SO my husband made his proof
the next day, January 18th, and all Of
our neighbors knew that we had lived on
our land continually and in good faith
we got tho homestead We live on now.
How can we live OH this and prove up
again on the eighty acres ~pre-emption7
Must we lose our homestead right and
the $500 we paid for it or the pre-emp-
ton? God knows we have lived up to
the law in every respect. Pardon me if
[ have overtaxed your patience, but
cannot help explaining this to you. Sir,
il you could realize how hard it Is to
make living for a poor man here you
would not oblige US to ~readvertise and
mako q new proof, all Of which will cost
US $50 or $40, and that Team over q
hundred bushels of wheat at the present
prices. 1t docs seem to ME ono day
could make no difference for the proof.
We can easily prove to your satisfaction
that there was no to contest U
right to do so. We will anxiously await
your reply. Yours truly. 1870.
This letter was shown 10 Eden Max
we'll, an old resident Of Scotland, who
vouches for the truth of each statement
made therein. Mr.. Maxwell also read
Sparks m%ournful howl sent out from
Washington on the 10Th inst, in which
he says that the ''honest settlers of the
territory arc with me,'' but the corpora
tons of land sharks arc daslling him to
the wall. This statement by the COM
missioner aroused tho ire OF the Dako-
tan, and he sent the following letter.
which no doubt embodies the sentiment
of a great many Dakota people:
SCOTLAND, OAK, Oct q. lss7.-To A.
j. Sparks, Sir: It makes one feel like
making the air blue with blasphemy to
read what you said to the people of this
country on the 10Th inst. You are a liar
beyond computation of the word, when
you say "the honest settlers Of the terri
tory are with you" BY your ridiculous
requirements, and general holding up Of
land proofs, you have devised new
means for a new class Of and sharks to
plumber our people. Before you were
appointed commissioner settlers had
only to pay land agents for getting up
their papers and attidavits, between the
time of filing and making nroof; then
their trouble was vel. Now they have
to pay ex%trayagant fees Of all kinds, to
the new class you have created, both
here and at Washington, from the time
proof is made in Dakota till the patent is
issued at the national capitol. In many
cases and for trivial causes you demand
new proofs, and pay no attention to APP
peals from anyone, say we are all UNI
worthy OF belief, and when your de-
mands are not complied with, you can
eel our lands ny q dictatorial letter
marked X. or B., which reads like an
ultimatum from Johnny Bull to the
Turks. Letters like tho enclosed 90 to
you from Dakota every day, and then
Into your Washington waste basket. I
know every word Of the one that accom-
panies this to be true. Ittslls of a settlers
life, and a hard government-from a
woman too. 1t 10 an outrage and q shame
and makes a twenty year resident here
feel like using bad language when he
reads that the honest settlers OF the ter
%ritOries arc with you-you bulldozing
tyrant from Illinois. Yours.
EDEN MAXWELL.
Skin diseases cannot be successful lily
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